New Delhi: The Supreme Court has scheduled a hearing on July 11 for a series of petitions challenging the revocation of the special status of Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370 of the Constitution. Among the petitioners is Shah Faesal, an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer.
The five-judge Constitution bench assigned to hear the petitions comprises Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul, Sanjiv Khanna, BR Gavai, and Surya Kant.
In August 2019, the special status of Jammu and Kashmir was revoked, leading to the division of the state into two Union Territories. Previously, Article 370 granted Jammu and Kashmir its own constitution and decision-making powers in all matters except defense, communications, and foreign affairs. The removal of Article 370 effectively ended the special status that had been instrumental in the region's accession to India in 1947.
The political landscape of Jammu and Kashmir had long been dominated by parties such as the National Conference, the Congress, and later Mufti Mohammad Sayeed's Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Notably, the alliance between the BJP and the PDP in 2014 marked a significant development in Jammu and Kashmir's history. However, after the BJP withdrew from the coalition government with the PDP in 2018, the state came under President's rule.
The upcoming Supreme Court hearing will provide a platform for the petitions challenging the scrapping of Jammu and Kashmir's special status, opening avenues for a legal examination of this significant constitutional change.